Editorial: Yes to small increase in transit millage:

Fast, reliable and affordable public transportation is a necessity that can make a community an attractive place to live and work.

This is a tough time to be pushing a tax proposal. The property tax renewal and small increase sought by the Grand Rapids area's bus system on the May 5 ballot is no exception. Public transit officials are hoping voters can look beyond today's dismal economic climate and make an investment in the area's rapid transit future. So are we. The economic impact and job-creating potential of a planned high-speed bus line from downtown Grand Rapids to 60th Street in Gaines Township are too good to pass up. We recommend a YES vote on the transit millage.

Taxpayers in the six cities served by The Rapid bus system are being asked to renew the 1.12 mill operating levy and support a .16 mill tax increase to operate a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route that's been dubbed the Silver Line.

The renewal would maintain the current level of regular bus service. The minimal increase -- an extra $1 a month for the owner of a home with a market value of $150,000 -- would provide operating funds for the high-speed bus route. Taxpayers wouldn't start paying that extra buck until July 2012, when the Silver Line, is scheduled to open. Both millages are for five years.

BRT systems in other cities have created jobs and spawned economic development, in addition to providing fast, accessible and affordable public transportation. This region could benefit from all of those.

Local transit officials estimate the BRT project will create 405 permanent jobs with average annual wages of $37,000.

Division Avenue was picked as the best candidate for the first phase of BRT because of its development potential, robust ridership, population and employment density.

The local plan calls for constructing 19 transit stations along a nearly 10 mile stretch along Division Avenue to 60th Street. Buses that emulate light-rail cars, with multiple doors opening at once, would run in 10-minute intervals, with traffic signal coordination to expedite trips and fare machines inside the transit stations to speed boarding. The route serves downtown Grand Rapids business and entertainment venues as well as businesses in Kentwood and Wyoming.

The cities that belong to the Interurban Transit Partnership (ITP), known as The Rapid, are East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Walker and Wyoming. Voters in those cities are being asked to support the tax hike now to leverage $40 million in federal and state funding for the project.

The federal government has set aside $32 million and the state has pledged $8 million to build the BRT system, if local officials can show they have the financial resources to operate the system once its built -- without reducing current service levels. Rapid CEO Peter Varga says the federal funds would likely go to other cities if the local millage fails.

The Rapid has a strong record of sensible planning, good management and consistent public support. The cost of operating the BRT line will be covered by a combination of millage money, bus fares and state funds.

A good public transportation system can enhance a region's quality of life and economic prospects. According to the American Public Transportation Association, about 20 BRT projects are under way or in operation across the country, spurring increased land values, rising revenue streams and economic development along the routes.

We support public transit and would like to see it stretched into other areas of Kent County, not just enhanced in the cities already being served. Transit officials and supporters should work harder on making that happen. The BRT line is a good starting point for the next generation of public transit in this region.

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